10:43pm MST
Football Watch: "Cheating" is such a harsh word, but strange things just seem to happen around New England Pats' coach Bill Belichick
*Strange things seem to happen around Coach Bill.* *"There’s no answer for this one, for why, as Steve Young put it, the Patriots are a team that does the really difficult things well, yet trips up and sets off a national conversation in which everyone, from the Colts, the team the Patriots vanquished 45-7, to Vice President Joe Biden has weighed in."* *-- the *Washington Post's *Cindy Boren* *by Ken* Funny how these things circle around. Here in New York, once upon a time, when the legendary NY Giants coach Bill Parcells had begun a process of extricating the NY Jets from a seem... more »
“Where Self-Esteem Comes From”
*“Where Self-Esteem Comes From”* by David Cain “When one of my favorite radio hosts, Shelagh Rodgers (pronounced ‘Sheila’), announced on air that she was leaving her morning show to take some time off, she had a way of explaining why that left a lasting impression on me. She said that for years, a colleague of hers (Peter Gzowski?) insisted on making frequent trips to a remote cabin up North, where he spent the time chopping wood, reading books and walking with his dogs. When she asked him why this ritual was so important to him, he said, “Well… I guess I really like who I am when... more »
TV Watch: "This show has been a crazy ride for us" ("Better Call Saul" showrunners Vince Gilligan and Peter Gould)
*Better Call Saul showrunners Peter Gould and Vince Gilligan* *"The character of Jimmy McGill has taken us places we never expected. Jimmy's not yet Saul Goodman: he's his own man, and he's messy and struggling and still finding himself."* *-- from the open letter from Vince and Peter* *by Ken* I realize that I'm risking becoming a PR shill for *Better Call Saul*, the *Breaking Bad* prequel that AMC is unveiling in a two-part premiere Sunday and Monday, February 8 and 9, at 10pm/9pm CT. But frankly I worry more about the possibility of being let down by one of the few upcoming tele... more »
French Defence Minister: About A Dozen Former French Soldiers Have Defected To The Islamic State
French Minister of Defense Jean-Yves Le Drian at the Pentagon in the US. Reuters/Yuri Gripas *The Telegraph*: *Up to ten former French soldiers 'have defected to Islamic State'* *Update*: Some French jihadists are former soldiers, minister admits -- France 24 *WNU Editor:* I would also like to know how many other former soldiers (from other countries) have also defected. My gut is telling me that if you include former soldiers from the Syrian and Iraqi armies, a good part of the Islamic State is actually made up of a lot of former soldiers from countries all around the world.
These Are The Five Global Front Lines That President Obama Will Beed To Confront This Year
U.S. President Barack Obama delivers his State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress on Capitol Hill in Washington, January 20, 2015. Credit: Reuters/Mandel Ngan/Pool *Howard LaFranchi, CSM:* *Five global front lines that could define Obama's final two years* From the battle with the Islamic State to Iran's nuclear program, President Obama's clear signal from the State of the Union address is that cooperation with partners will continue to trump a rush to confrontation. *WNU Editor:* I would definitely add Afghanistan to this list .... and the rise of terror groups ... more »
Iran Has A Big Financial Incentive To Continue Participating In Current P5+1 Nuclear Talks
*Adam Kredi, Washington Examiner*: *U.S. to Award Iran $11.9 Billion Through End of Nuke Talks* *Another $490 million released on Tuesday under deal* *WNU Editor*: Supporting Hezbollah, Syria's Assad, and providing men and material to battle the Islamic State in Iraq .... coupled with falling oil prices, sanctions, and maintaining a system that provides subsidies to its population (social programs, cheap gas, etc.) .... Iran needs every dollar that it can get. And while $11 billion may not mean much in the long term for Iran .... for the moment it is a big help.
Is The Islamic State Being Stopped?
*Zack Beauchamp:* *Obama is right: ISIS is being stopped* *WNU Editor:* The above video from VOX sums it up accurate .... since 9/11 the U.S. has not been successful in defeating one radical Islamic terrorist group .... and the Islamic State is probably the strongest of all of these groups .... combined.
Ko Wen-je VS the Construction-Industrial State: Ko wins one
*Beachcombing in Hsinchu.* Taipei mayor Ko Wen-je is rocking the construction-industrial state. The Taipei Times reports... The Taipei Dome and Farglory’s contract had become a source of controversy in recent days as Ko and his administrative team began looking at several major projects either underway or in the proposal stage. Prior to last night’s meeting, Ko had said the Dome contract would have to be revised to increase the penalties for failing to meet deadlines. He also said discrepancies between the initial contract terms during the bidding process and the firm’s final cont... more »
"Fukushima Update, 1/21/15"
*"Fukushima Update, 1/21/15"* "Study: Fukushima plume spread worldwide, far exceeding the hundreds of miles mentioned previously — 100 Quadrillion becquerels of Cs-137 released tops Chernobyl — “Implicates radiological hazard at distances otherwise overlooked” By ENENews *"International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health* (pdf), University of Florida College of Medicine, Weill-Cornell Medical College, etc. (2014): "The Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant accident is an example of a contemporary nuclear plant accident with serious implications. The Fukushima NPP... more »
A Speech Of Pure Bull Crap And Lies - Ripping Barry Soetoro's 2015 "State Of The Union" Address To Smithereens!
Yesterday, I actually enjoyed a relaxing evening considering the fact that I have suffered for the last three weeks straight with both a series of head colds and the damn flu... It was finally good to have the headaches disappear and my coughing has now subsided.... But of course yesterday evening was the time for the criminal US President, Barry Soetoro, to go in front of the US Congress-critters and spew out a torrent of lies called the '2015 State Of The Union Address"... As a Canadian, I thought that thank goodness I did not have to turn on any of the Jew spew American Talmudvis... more »
A question for Gauleiter Brownlee
News just in from a NOT PC roving correspondent that Gerry Brownlee has ordered up 100 double-cab utes “for Christchurch earthquake recovery.” New, not second-hand. Double-cabs, not even your average cheap-jack big-tray ute. Perhaps because only100 really big utes can fill up the carparks of Gauleiter Brownlee’s failing "frame"? The mind boggles. Who or what will be using these? Have they been using bicycles until now? And who exactly is paying? That last question, of course, is an easy one. And by the time the taxpayers’ bill is finally in – after liners have been fitted a... more »
"Why is it not OK to kill people in the name of a religion, but it is OK to kill people in the name of a nation?" (Ian Welsh)
*Showtime's Homeland has been one of the few mainstream media places where consideration has been allowed for the implications of murder by drone -- or even that there are implications.* *by Ken* I should have had occasion before now to direct attention to a string of posts Ian Welsh has written in the wake of the events in Paris, because Ian has been insisting on questions that hardly anybody else has even been hinting at, namely the wild disproportion between the furor over those events and regularly occurring series of events in various parts of the world that have been taking ... more »
The definition of "combat" ...
Is NOT the one provided by some pencil-necked, political, maggot out of the prime minister's office. Especially when that particular creature has never so much as stood in a recruiting office, much less actually been in armed conflict. Let's get an item out of the way here. Anyone in any military theatre of operations coming under hostile fire has every right to return fire and every right to
Musical Interlude: Liquid Mind, “Terra, Earth”
Liquid Mind, “Gold In The Shadows”, “Terra, Earth” - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M5IWJWEOIDg&feature=related
"A Look to the Heavens"
"Big beautiful spiral galaxy M66 lies a mere 35 million light-years away. About 100 thousand light-years across, the gorgeous island universe is well known to astronomers as a member of the Leo Triplet of galaxies. In M66, pronounced dust lanes and young, blue star clusters sweep along spiral arms dotted with the tell-tale glow of pink star forming regions. *Click image for larger size.* This colorful and deep view also reveals faint extensions beyond the brighter galactic disk. Of course, the bright, spiky stars lie in the foreground, within our own Milky Way Galaxy, but many, smal... more »
The Poet: David Whyte, "The Opening of Eyes"
*"The Opening of Eyes"* "That day I saw beneath dark clouds The passing light over the water, And I heard the voice of the world speak out. I knew then as I have before, Life is no passing memory of what has been, Nor the remaining pages of a great book Waiting to be read. It is the opening of eyes long closed. It is the vision of far off things, Seen for the silence they hold. It is the heart after years of secret conversing Speaking out loud in the clear air. It is Moses in the desert fallen to his knees Before the lit bush. It is the man throwing away his shoes As if to enter heaven ... more »
Chet Raymo, “On Saying ‘I Don't Know’"
*“On Saying ‘I Don't Know’"* by Chet Raymo "When Charles and Emma Darwin bought the house that would be their family home for forty years, at Downe, sixteen miles south of London, one of Charles' first improvements was to have the flints removed from the property's chalky meadow. The glassy stones were more than an agricultural nuisance; they were a puzzle to be solved. The countryside about Downe is pretty much pure chalk, and Darwin was confident he knew where the chalk came from: the calcerous deposits of the myriad planktonic organisms that lived in a sea that was once superinc...more »
Rip-off News round-up. Our pick of the last week's media (Thu 22nd January)
Firms benefiting from lower oil price should raise wages, says Cameron A glut in global oil supplies has caused Brent crude prices to more than halve in little more than six months. Britain's political parties are competing to try to show they can best help voters benefit from the fall, as a national election looms in May. "I want to see companies' success passed through in terms of wage
"Politics..."
'Politics is supposed to be the second-oldest profession. I have come to realize that it bears a very close resemblance to the first.'' - Ronald Reagan
Satire: “Republican Fashion Icon”
*“Republican Fashion Icon”* Joni Ernst Says She Used To Wear Bucket on Head for No Apparent Reason by Andy Borowitz WASHINGTON (The Borowitz Report)— “Senator Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) shared more folksy stories of her childhood on Wednesday, telling reporters that she used to wear a bucket on her head for no apparent reason. “I’d be walking outside our house and see a bucket lying there, and I’d say to myself, ‘That’s a perfectly good bucket, I think I’ll put it on my head,’ ” she said. “It wasn’t because I needed a hat or anything. I must have had, oh gosh, a half-dozen hats or so. I ju... more »
Why The Movie 'Amercian Sniper' Is A Big Hit
*Rich Lowry, New York Post*: *Americans love war heroes, despite what Hollywood liberals think* *WNU Editor:* I am not surprised by the public reaction to the movie .... we all love war heroes and Director Clint Eastwood and actor Bradley Cooper did an excellent job in presenting one such hero .... but what I find is interesting is how Hollywood has reacted to the movie .... *‘American Sniper’ decried as propaganda by some, praised as veterans’ paean by others* -- Cecilia Kang and Terrence McCoy, Washington Post. As to what is my own take on the movie .... as I had mentioned a few... more »
Commentaries, Analysis, And Editorials -- January 21, 2015
*Stephen L. Carter, Bloomberg:* *Best State of the Union Analysis: Don't Watch* *Commentaries, Analysis, And Editorials -- January 21, 2015* Coup in Yemen: Saudi Arabia's Nightmare -- Simon Henderson, Washington Institute Can Iraq hold together? How the new Shiite premier is doing. -- Scott Peterson, CSM The Iraqi TV show where 'bombers' meet their victims -- Rami Ruhayem, BBC New Japan’s Abe Faces Great Risk, Little Reward in ISIS Hostage Crisis -- Kirk Spitzer, Time The dire consequences of meddling in Libya -- Con Coughlin, Telegraph There Are No Winners in the Ukraine C...more »
RMA reform? Mush, without any details to give it form
[image: Motu - Impacts of planning rules] That table above was released last night as part of a 65-page report accompanying Nick Smith’s speech detailing outlining his plans to gut abolish reform tinker with the Resource Management Act, the RMA. It shows what the report writers consider to be the range of costs that hit house and apartment builders under the RMA. (Not shown, though the report’s authors tried to model them, were the costs of home and apartment builders simply giving up in the face of the overwhelming uncertainties associated with planning anything under the RMA.) ... more »
Shadow of Crisis Passes But Smell of Bullshit Remains
Emperor Barack Obama’s much anticipated State of the Union address last night was a pure masterpiece of pomp and bullshit and likely hit all the right notes with millions of gullible Americans. There was the triumphant heralding that the “shadow of crisis has passed” and the economy is once again the greatest on the planet. I suppose that this is somewhat true if your indicators are a stock market that is at record levels thanks to having been backstopped by the Federal Reserve and the government since 2009. All that Obama and his dynamic duo of Fed bosses “Helicopter” Ben Bernank... more »
On the Stoke-on-Trent City Independents' 2015 Manifesto
A novelist turned aspiring musician. Two former leading BNP activists. A man who's been in more parties than Paris Hilton. Someone who thinks the NHS should be scrapped. Another who spends too much time on Guido Fawkes and ConHome calling for a UKIP vote. And the bearer of a conviction for child sex abuse images. A motley crew and no mistaking, but of whom am I speaking? It's the colourful (some might say gaudy) cast of the Stoke-on-Trent City Independents' candidate list for this year's local elections. As readers know, there is no finer pearl of a city than Stoke-on-Trent. Perc... more »
Yemeni official: ISIS is active and recruiting in Yemen [Source: CNN]
Apparently, ISIS is under every rock and behind every bush in the Middle East. It is recruiting in Pakistan, manhandling government ministers in Libya, eating up territory in Iraq, poking the eye of Saudi Arabia, causing trouble in the Sinai, and threatening the U.S. embassy in Yemen. But in Syria, where they originated, and where they're on the march towards Damascus, they're still being referred to as "rebels" and continue to receive training, money, and arms from the U.S. and its allies. Make of that what you will, but one thing is for sure, those who released this monster to pu... more »
"American Sniper": Chris Kyle Was No Hero
*By MARC McDONALD* Clint Eastwood's new film, *American Sniper* purports to tell the story of real-life U.S. Navy SEAL Chris Kyle. But this is nonsense. The movie character actually has little in common with the real-life Kyle, who was a twisted, bigoted, dishonest person who (in his 2012 memoir) wrote that killing Iraqis was "fun." What kind of person says that killing people is "fun"? (Well, outside of Jack the Ripper-type sociopaths?) People like this aren't heroes. They certainly don't have a place in our nation's military. As the U.K. *Guardian* noted, Kyle had nothing but co... more »
Windows 10, Microsoft HoloLens, wow
I gave a near 3-hour interactive talk at a local Science Café tonight which was fun. Well, the number of guys who followed it at the technical level was close to \(\pi\) but everything was relaxed, no one was tired, so the talk could have been made entertaining even for those ladies and gentlemen who didn't really follow all those things about escape speeds, special relativity, general relativity, quantum mechanics, Hawking and Bekenstein, second laws and black hole entropy, Strominger and Vafa, ER=EPR, quasinormal modes, landscape and swampland, LHC destructive black holes, and so ... more »
Winning Hearts for Jesus
More evidence that US is heavily involved in outfitting the Kiev regimes soldiers. American evangelists are sending these recording to win 'hearts for Jesus'.
6 Major Lies That Will Be Pushed On NFL Fans This Week
*Bernie Suarez* - As we wind down another NFL season, let's turn our attention again to how the globalists rely heavily on the irrational sports (fanaticism) platform to pump their lies and deception... The post 6 Major Lies That Will Be Pushed On NFL Fans This Week appeared first on Waking Times.
Petro/Chemical Lobby using TTIP to weaken European EDC Regulation- The Chemical Manipulation of Humanity
* Chemwatch* *The pesticides industry has been accused of lobbying EU and US negotiators involved in the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) talks, in an attempt to weaken the future regulation of endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs).* * As we can see/understand/comprehend unless the populace becomes proactive and engaged, governments will continue to collude with the petro/chemical industry to carry on poisoning us all. Business as usual!* In its report, *Lowest Common Denominator,* the Center for International Environmental Law (Ciel) says t*he US pesticide in...more »
Bradley Craft Presents an Evening of William Cowper
*Wikipedia: * William Cowper (26 November 1731 – 25 April 1800) was an English poet and hymnodist. One of the most popular poets of his time, Cowper changed the direction of 18th century nature poetry by writing of everyday life and scenes of the English countryside. In many ways, he was one of the forerunners of Romantic poetry. Samuel Taylor Coleridge called him "the best modern poet", whilst William Wordsworth particularly admired his poem Yardley-Oak. He was a nephew of the poet Judith Madan. After being institutionalised for insanity in the period 1763–65, Cowper found refu... more »
Trifecta: American Sniper Sniped: Why Hollywood Lefties Hate Eastwood's Movie...
*and I'm loving watching them squirm.*
World News Briefs -- January 21, 2015 (Evening Edition)
*AFP: **Yemen leader, Shiite militia in deal to end crisis: agency* *MIDDLE EAST* Leaked audio links* ex-Yemen leader to Houthis*. U.S. Embassy in Yemen 'not as risk'* from Houthi rebels: Officials*. Yemen crisis: Houthi rebels *tighten grip on Sanaa*. Yemen rebels seize missile base, *post guards at president's home*. Yemeni Houthi rebels reportedly *hold President Hadi 'captive'*. Yemeni port city Aden on security lockdown *amid Houthi violence*. Yemen security authorities close *airport, sea and land crossings in Aden.* Yemen Houthis set demands *amid standoff*. Iraqi Kurds i... more »
More Than Half of American School Children Are Poor: More Accountability Testing, Anyone?
For the first time since the first ESEA was passed in 1965, the majority of U. S. school children qualify for free or reduced price lunch. from The Washington Post: Today the dipshits on Capitol Hill from both parties agreed wholeheartedly that the new ESEA will do nothing to address poverty or segregation, other than to weigh the hungry and to send more money to apartheid charters, while they disagreed mightily about how many tests should be demanded of kids who come to school unwashed and without food at home. These poor kids' schools will be held accountable for their poverty ... more »
Two Videos that Might Change Your Opinion of War Forever
*Video - *Two videos that argue the case for nonviolent civil resistance and ending all war. The post Two Videos that Might Change Your Opinion of War Forever appeared first on Waking Times.
The Daily "Near You?"
Garza García, Nuevo Leon, Mexico. Thanks for stopping by.
"Be Open: Embracing New Information"
*"Be Open: Embracing New Information"* by Madisyn Taylor, The DailyOM "As we live we will go through the processes of opening to new information, integrating it, and stabilizing our worldview. Living in an information age, it is easy to become overwhelmed by the constant influx of scientific studies, breaking news, and even spiritual revelations that fill our bookshelves, radio waves, and in-boxes. No sooner have we decided what to eat or how to think about the universe than a new study or book comes out confounding our well-researched opinion. After a while, we may be tempted to d... more »
And speaking of Governor Booby: Having established that he's a boob, is he trying now to show that he's thuggier than Fox Noise?
*Fox Noise has backed off the "no-go zones," but not our Booby.* *by Ken* Boy, all of today's stories seem to just tie together! Earlier today we were talking about the, er, distinguished roster of orators who have made their name in the Village by delivering responses to the president's State of the Union address, especially in the Age of Obama -- a list that will now and forever be headed by the biggest boob of them all, Louisiana Gov. Booby Jindal. Who can forget the shock of discovery that night in 2009 when most of us got our first glimpse of this latest GOP rising star, the p... more »
"The Object Of Life..."
"The object of life is not to be on the side of the majority, but to escape finding oneself in the ranks of the insane." - Marcus Aurelius
"'If You Question Authority, You Are Mentally Ill', Report Finds"
*"'If You Question Authority, You Are Mentally Ill', Report Finds"* by Pater Tenebrarum *"Only the Sheeple Are Sane: *This post is about an issue that is by now a bit dated (though the topic as such certainly isn’t), but we have only just become aware of it and it seemed to us worth rescuing it from the memory hole. In late 2013, the then newest issue of the American Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM for short) defined a new mental illness, the so-called “oppositional defiant disorder” or ODD. As TheMindUnleashed.org informs us, the definition of this new m... more »
Beth Dimino Leads Opt Out Move on Long Island
While "resistance" groups cut deals with the corporate unions to support another generation of high stakes tests, the real resistance continues. From the Long Island Press: Beth Dimino, an eighth grade science teacher in Comsewogue School District and president of the Port Jefferson Station Teachers Association, will refuse to administer state tests this spring. Beth Dimino, an eighth grade science teacher in Comsewogue School District and president of the Port Jefferson Station Teachers Association, will refuse to administer state tests this spring. Beth Dimino, an eighth-grade... more »
Thousands Are Leaving Central Asia To Join And Fight With The Islamic State
*Deutsche Welle*: *Thousands from Central Asia joining 'Islamic State': Report* *WNU Editor: *The International Crisis Group report is here .... *Syria Calling: Radicalisation in Central Asia (ICG).* This is definitely going to be a long term problem for Central Asia .... and for neighboring countries like Russia and China. When radicalization takes hold .... it is usually there for a very long time. In places like Central Asia .... it could be permanent. *More News On The Islamic State Is Gaining Thousands Of New Recruits From Central Asia* Syria Drawing Increasing Numbers of Ce... more »
"How It Really Is"
Don't believe this nonsense for one second, folks...
Stabbing attack
BBC Watch discusses the way the BBC has been presenting this morning’s stabbings in Tel Aviv. I hadn’t heard Kevin Connolly’s version of this event, but just as I was about to go out this morning I was unlucky enough to catch Yolande Knell’s piece on this incident on the BBC News channel. I’m alway conscious that a whole generation nurtured by the Oz soap “Neighbours” has been permanently influenced by Oz pronunciation. I’m not talking about the upward inflection, which I sense has died down. It’s the way they pronounce “Here.” With a silent ‘r”. “Hee.” Several BBC broadcasters of a... more »
United Nations: Islamic State Is Using Sharia Law To Spread A Reign Of Terror
The terror group's militants prepare to throw a man off the roof of a building as punishment for homosexuality. Twitter *ABC News (Australia)*: *Islamic State meting out cruel and inhuman punishments for flouting sharia law, UN says* *WNU Edito*r: This reminds me of the Taliban when they ruled Afghanistan before 9/11. *More News On Reports That The Islamic State Is Using Sharia Law To Spread A Reign Of Terror In The regions That It Controls* Ruthless ‘reign of terror’ of Islamic State detailed -- Boston Globe/New York Times IS executing 'educated women' in new wave of horror says ... more »
We Were An Invading Country
The movie 'American Sniper' based on the memoirs of Navy Seal Chris Kyle has grabbed six Oscar nominations and shattered US box-office records. In the process it's also inflamed debate over US wars. Kyle served in Iraq and was credited with being America's deadliest sniper. After leaving the army he was shot dead by a fellow veteran he was trying to help. RT's Marina Portnaya takes a look at the controversy around the film.
Saanich, Atwell, online noise and big issues being ignored
Train wreck, gong show, circus - the clichés used to describe the municipal meltdown in Saanich, Victoria´s bigger suburban neighbour, have been piling up. Newly elected Mayor Richard Atwell is being likened to Toronto´s Rob Ford, always a bad sign. But all that noise is drowning out the fact that important issues are being ignored in a time of trial by Twitter and quick news hits. If this is local politics in the new age of social media, I don’t like it. Two narratives have emerged after Atwell´s first 50 days. In one, he is an incompetent, untrustworthy, weirdo loner. (Do... more »
Kids' Art: Monster Hug Pop-Up Card
Hello again friends! I'm here today to share a fun little pop-up card featuring preschool art. This monster hug card is perfect for Valentine's Day or just for sending to a loved one who lives far away. The pop-up folding part is more for older kids or an adult, but the art part is fun for toddlers on up. I will admit, I think I had even more fun than my kids did! We painted our monsters on a separate paper and then cut and glued them into the card, but you could save a step and just paint right on the card interior, too. Kids' Art Technique: Straw Painting This straw painting tec... more »
Kurdish Forces Launch A Major Offensive Against The Islamic State. President Obama Touts Progress in The War
*Al Bawaba/Press TV*: *Kurdish forces launch major operation against Daesh in north Iraq* *More News On The War Against The Islamic State* Kurdish forces launch push against IS in north Iraq -- AFP Iraqi Kurds in major offensive against ISIL -- Al Jazeera Peshmerga part of multipronged attack on Mosul -- Rudaw ISIS on defensive on several Iraqi fronts under Peshmerga, Iraqi attacks -- Rudaw Kurdish forces squeeze Islamic State supply line in northern Iraq -- Euronews/Reuters Iraq's Kurds scramble to fend off new Islamic State assault -- CSM Coalition air strikes hit Islamic State ne... more »
Iraq’s National Guard Plan Moving Forward While Legislation In Jeopardy In Baghdad
When Prime Minister Haider Abadi came into office in September 2014 one of the many reforms he suggested was the creation of a National Guard for Iraq. This new force would be made up of local fighters who would be under the command of the governor of each province, and incorporate existing tribal fighters and militias. This would help with not only security, but decentralize powers away from Baghdad out to the governorates. The creation of a National Guard would require legislation, which is deadlocked in the cabinet. In the meantime a few provinces have moved ahead with raising ... more »
Conflict of Interest
Conflict of interest remains a challenging area for judicial officers. The recent Newfoundland and Labrador decision in Cabana v. Newfoundland and Labrador, 2014 NLCA 34 suggests that disqualifying conflict may not be present in matters where Ontario judicial officers have customarily found it. As a general rule Ontario judicial officers decline to hear contested matters where one of the parties is represented by someone who is a member of the same law firm as the judicial officer's spouse. So a judge will not hear her husband's associate argue a matter. The customary refusal is base... more »
Indefinite support usually proper for cohabiting parties over 65
*Djekic v. Zai,* 2015 ONCA 25: [9] The Spousal Support Advisory Guidelines suggest that where the recipient’s age plus the duration of the relationship are greater that 65 – as is the case with Ms. Djekic – an indefinite award is appropriate. In Fisher v. Fisher (2008), 2008 ONCA 11 (CanLII), 88 O.R. (3d) 241 (C.A.), this Court noted that, while a judge may depart from the Guidelines, he or she should provide reasons for doing so.
Research: Children More Likely to Develop Cancer from Cell Phones
*Video - *A report by Dr. David Carpenter showing that chances of malignant tumours are doubled in heavy cell phone users when compared to non users, while in children the rates are almost 5 times as high. The post Research: Children More Likely to Develop Cancer from Cell Phones appeared first on Waking Times.
The Economy: “Truth Or Lies? (Deficit)”
*“Truth Or Lies? (Deficit)”* by Karl Denninger “I don't like this sort of horsecrap. "The federal budget deficit slid to $483 billion in fiscal year 2014, down from $680 billion in 2013 and more than $1 trillion each of the prior four years. Higher tax revenue, economic growth and caps on government spending all contributed to the shrinking budget gap." It did? *09/30/2013:* 11,976,279,236,073.83 4,761,904,290,623.49 16,738,183,526,697.32 On 9/30/2013 there was $16,738 billion in federal debt. *09/30/2014: *12,784,971,238,978.02 5,039,100,141,755.80 17,824,071,380,733.82... more »
Q: So what happens when oil hits $45 a barrel?
*Two lengthy answers here to two simple questions: * - Q: What happens to fracking, and to the U.S. economy and beyond, when oil hits $45 a barrel? - Q: Is the U.S. economy built on a mountain of shale oil debt? - Supplementary Question For You To Ponder: Since virtually all real commodities are also going down, including milk powder, and for somewhat similar reasons, what lessons for our own dairy boom? Or in other words, in investors’ desperate search for yield has all the Fed’s counterfeit capital been pumped into supplying more commodities, like oil, than ... more »
In Order To Incarnate To Earth You Had To Master Manifestations
*Gregg Prescott* - How many challenges are you facing right now? Are you starting to re-remember how powerful you are? Has anyone experienced any new abilities? The post In Order To Incarnate To Earth You Had To Master Manifestations appeared first on Waking Times.
The Economy: Gerald Celente, “National Intel Report - January 20, 2015”
Gerald Celente, “National Intel Report - January 20, 2015” - https://www.youtube.com/ ◆ Gerald Celente, "The Dan Cofall Show - January 19, 2015" - https://www.youtube.com/
Transpicuous News Report LIVE stream tonight
Good evening everyone! This is a quick post to let you know that I will be doing a Transpicuous News Report , LIVE stream Tonight, Wed January 21- at 11pm GMT. Due the public demand, lol, I will now be doing at least two shows a week, live on CCN and TONE.... with a very good chance that that will be jumping to three shows a week very very soon. So please tune in tonight on CCN, TONE or on Removing the Shackles for a report on all of the insanity that has happened in just the past three days! http://www.consciousconsumernetwork.tv/ http://the-one-network.org/
heroes
Why are there no more heroes ? Because today all men are heroes albeit trodden and worn bare
U.S. Congress Invites Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu To Speak To Congress On Iran. White House Was Not Notified
*BBC:* *John Boehner invites Netanyahu to Congress on Iran* *WNU Editor:* Israeli PM Netanyahu has accepted this invitation to address the U.S. Congress .... *Netanyahu accepts invitation to address U.S. Congress: Israeli official *(Reuters). Not surprising .... the White House is not happy with this invite .... *White House criticizes Netanyahu's planned trip to U.S., calling it 'departure from protocol'* (Haaretz). The US Congress and the White House are definitely not on the same page when it comes to Iranian sanctions .... with Congressional opposition coming from both parties... more »
US-NATO Ukraine War News
The Kiev puppet regime of the US-NATO has re-launched their offensive on the eastern part of Ukraine where the self-defense forces have held on despite constant shelling of their cities and towns. Many civilians have been killed by Kiev shelling in recent days. The battle for what is left of the Donesk airport appears to have been won by the eastern self-defense forces. The Kiev junta has sent in waves of ill-trained conscripts to try to retake the airport but they faced death and capture. One of those captured at the airport was the Right Sector Neo-Nazi commander Oleg Mikhail... more »
Yemeni President still in power despite Houthi Rebel Presence?
*Or, Is the Yemeni President in power and still alive because of the presence of Houthi rebels?* *Note the facts of what is ongoing in Yemen, please? From CNN today?* *Yemeni President still in power* *Yemeni President Abdu Rabu Mansour Hadi still considers himself to be in power, a Yemeni official briefed on the political situation told CNN on Wednesday.Despite the presence of rebel militiamen outside his home, the President doesn't consider himself a captive, the Yemeni official told CNN.He explained that the Houthis were assisting Hadi's security detail in their protection... more »
Chris Kyle: An Inhuman Interest Story
(By *American Zen*'s Mike Flannigan. on loan from Ari.) In all fairness, you have to give Clint Eastwood credit. For a man who lives a relatively quiet and private personal life, he always finds a way to get in the public eye. And it's a testament to his endurance and relevance, legitimate or otherwise, that he remains a political lightning rod for those on both sides of the Great Ideological Divide. After all, you show me one other 84 year-old director who's still directing movies let alone ones at the top of the box office that make people talk about them at the water cooler.... more »
DILBIT does the Nebbies
The National Energy Board has sided with Kinder Morgan in refusing the Province of BC's request for more details on how KM would handle an oil spill from KM's proposed $5.4-billion Edmonton-to-Burnaby Trans Mountain pipeline expansion. None of our business apparently. Kinder Morgan cited "commercial, security, and privacy reasons" for their redactions. The NEB is also rather coy when it comes to identifying the former energy industry links among the members that make up their own ranks. NEB bios are full of expressions like "contributed to the creation and development of major e... more »
Untitled
*Frenchy Paints Bo Dollis, Mardi Gras Indian, for Jazz Fest 2015 Poster* *Attorneys press Corps of Engineers for public hearing on Helis Oil application for wetlands permit ~Robert Rhoden * *Residents, environmental groups want state agency out of agreement with RAM Terminal ~Amy Wold, The Advocate * *~Also~Two new diversion sites to be studied, computer modeling to determine effectiveness *
Speaking of the State of the Union "Republican response" . . .
*Plus: Borowitz Report -- Americans are, er, inspired* *A star is born?* *As you read this, Iowa's plucky farmgirl may already be the new Booby Jindal!* *"People only remember the response to the State of the Union when it goes badly. (It's kind of like NFL refereeing -- memorable only in its poor execution.) Like it did for Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal who displayed about as much charisma as Steve Urkel when he delivered the response in 2009."* *-- the *Washington Post*'s Nia-Malika Henderson, in* "Why the State of the Union response is always so bad" *by Ken* In my earlier p... more »
Doomsday Clock Settings To Change Tomorrow?
*Daily Mail*: *Is the end of the world nigh? Atomic scientists set to make 'major announcement' about Doomsday Clock* * Symbolic clock was established by Manhattan Project scientists in 1947 * It's designed to show how close civilisation is to facing global catastrophe * Scientists track threats by monitoring nuclear weapons and climate change * The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists (BAS) will host a live international news conference to make a 'major announcement' on Thursday * Expected to reveal the board's decision regarding the clock's minute hand * Last time, Doomsday Clock mi... more »
Political Unrest Spreads In Congo
*Bloomberg:* *Congo Protests Extend to Third Day as Group Says 40 Killed * *WNU Editor*: The opposition is getting organized, and with the church not getting involved by giving morale support .... these protests are probably only going to escalate. *More News On The Political Unrest In Congo* Violence rocks Kinshasa amid fears of Kabila power grab -- France24 Gunfire in DRC as protesters tell Kabila 'get out' -- News24 Third day of unrest in DR Congo as rights group says over 40 people have died -- Euronews Violence in DR Congo as opposition protests election law -- Daily Mail/AFP D... more »
Ukraine President Poroshenko At Davos Forum: Russia Has 9,000 Troops In Ukraine
*Reuters*: *Russia has 9,000 troops on Ukrainian soil, Poroshenko tells Davos forum* *WNU Editor*: Russia is denying Ukrainian claims that their soldiers are aiding the rebels .... *Russia says no proof it sent troops, arms to east Ukraine *(Reuters). But among these claims and counter-claims .... the war is escalating and the truce is dead .... *As fighting deepens in eastern Ukraine, casualties rise and truce is all but dead* (Washington Post) *More News On Ukraine Claims That There Are 9,000 Russian Soldiers On Ukraine Soil Aiding Pro-Russian Rebels* Poroshenko says over 9,000... more »
SOTU: Cyber What?
In last night’s State of the Union Address, President Obama briefly reiterated the point that Congress has an obligation to pass some sort of legislation that would enable cybersecurity to protect “our networks”, our intellectual property and “our kids.” The proposal appears to be a reiteration that companies share more information with the government in Continue reading
Recurring 911s cos we are addicted to being fooled & don't care to wake up
- (revised and edited 2015-11-9), a collection from various authors, too many to mention but you know who you are. All of your efforts greatly appreciated. First they sank the Titanic and murdered more than 1,500 poor souls, we didn't care. Cos' setting up the private Rothschild banking system aka FED and printing money was not our business. [image: https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggw_0a_jKxNjCEhtT_EsTC3cj8yQ_ZFkKzEOLgwr4KrvM886IkkyS1RIeN2u_amZRLOVgx9WQ9COFh8Uu1d_KT7MQaOUby3j0oV1NJrLzcMsOmIZG1WauSLEeMl2oO3VigCsDFFw/s1600/20140109+Titanic+location+wreck+xcf.jpg] Then they engineered the world into WWII; killing more than 20 millions in war atrocities. We noticed but still ... more »
'Powerlines' Dine' authentic filmmaking on Navajoland
By Censored News Dine' filmmaker Klee Benally and cast are now shooting the movie Powerlines on the Navajo Nation. Klee said of the photo above, Day 5 of filmmaking in Cameron, "Special thanks to my sis Michelle Babbitt and family for use of the awesome location." Klee Benally: "Awesome folks who are acting in my feature length Powerlines movie! Tony, Nezbahe, Kayla, and Belinda!
SELMA ON OUR MINDS: Hollywood by the numbers!
*WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 21, 2015Part 3—Our narrative versus some facts:* Sometimes it seems that we pseudo-liberals need to get out a bit more. Consider our latest jihad, in which we declare that Selma got “snubbed,” for racial reasons, in last week’s Oscar nominations. At our most overwrought, we've even said that the film was *“overwhelmingly* snubbed.” Since Selma received a Best Picture nomination, that claim seems a bit hard to parse. That said, we pseudolibs are sufficiently daft to make claims of that type. And we love to scatter our R-bombs around. Truth to tell, it’s pretty... more »
What is Ascension and is the Human Race Ascending?
*Pao. L. Chang* - For millennia, many religions and spiritual teachers have been telling us that during 2012 and soon after, humanity will experience a special spiritual event called ascension. The post What is Ascension and is the Human Race Ascending? appeared first on Waking Times.
Recycled Dairy Product
If President Obama's SOTU address sounded familiar, it's because it was familiar. His bombed speechwriter (see yesterday's post) was a day early on the White House's Big Block of Cheese marketing campaign. That's because he borrowed liberally from a weekly address prepared for the boss last summer during another dairy tour, that time featuring ice cream cones instead of moldy Cheddar. Obama dredged up and recycled a stereotypical all-American bootstrap family that any plutocrat could love, for a speech designed to make you feel that plutocracy-imposed hardship and austerity is just...more »
What is Noah thinking?
Noah Smith put up a post Sunday purporting to show that things aren't so bad for the middle class. Then he immediately shows us a chart of median household income. Stop right there. As I have argued before, this is always going to give you a rosier picture than reality. We need to look at individual data, aggregated weekly (because average hours per week have fallen for non-supervisory workers), to know what's going on. Because the individual real weekly wage is still below 1972 levels, households have had to compensate by having more incomes and going into debt. They have traded ti... more »
Mohawk Nation News 'Remembering Dick Hill'
REMEMBERING DICK HILL Posted on January 21, 2015 Please post and distribute. MNN. Jan. 21, 2015. The beautiful words of Hazel Hill describing her husband Dick. He was a hero to us all. MY HERO Your strength was like a mountainBoth physical and spiritual the sameYour mind as brilliant as the sunriseNew challenges welcomed as each day came Your spirit was unshakeableYet gentle
Mohawk Nation News 'Modern Day 'Indian' Land Theft'
MODERN DAY “INDIAN” LAND THEFT Posted on January 20, 2015 Please post and distribute. Nia:wen. MNN. JAN. 20, 2015. Christine Elliott is the wife of former Minister of Finance, Jim Flaherty. He was a balancer for the robber baron shareholders of the Corporation of Canada. He chose to have a conflict with the Kanion’ke:haka at Kane’ko:ta by committing a modern-day INDIAN land theft.
Yemen Crisis News Updates -- January 21, 2015
*Reuters:* *Yemen leader expected to accept demands of Houthis who defeat his guards* *Yemen Crisis News Updates -- January 21, 2015* Aides: Rebels hold Yemen's president 'captive' at his house -- AP Houthi militias 'guard' presidential palace, deny coup attempt -- France 24 Shiite insurgents control Yemen’s presidential palace and residence -- Washington Post Yemen crisis: Houthi rebels tighten grip on Sanaa -- BBC Yemen’s Houthi rebels replace president’s guards -- The Guardian Official: Yemeni President still in power despite rebel presence -- CNN Yemen Rebels Guard Presidential Co...more »
World News Briefs -- January 21, 2015
*CNN: Official*: *Yemeni President still in power despite rebel presence* *MIDDLE EAST* Yemen crisis: Houthi rebels *tighten grip on Sanaa*. Yemen rebels seize missile base, *post guards at president's home*. Yemeni Houthi rebels reportedly *hold President Hadi 'captive'*. Yemeni port city Aden on security lockdown *amid Houthi violence*. Yemen security authorities close *airport, sea and land crossings in Aden.* Yemen Houthis set demands *amid standoff*. Iraqi Kurds in *major offensive against ISIL*. Coalition air strikes hit Islamic State *near Kobani, Tal Afar: U.S. military*... more »
8 Exceptional Health Benefits of Baking Soda
*Karen Foster* - Baking soda is a powerful ally in health and wellness. Here are 8 ways to boost your health and vitality with baking soda. The post 8 Exceptional Health Benefits of Baking Soda appeared first on Waking Times.
The NCLB Band Is Back Together
Are you tired of federally mandated annual testing in your school? If you are, the neocons and neolibs have joined forces once again in DC have a deal for you. That's right--the band is back together! And they're ready to kick out the jams from under that rickety uptight annual testing stage. Sort of. Leading off their set list is a song that tells the story of reducing the federal mandate for math and ELA to what is now required by NCLB for science: once in each level (3-5), (6-8), and (9-12). Buy your ticket today and you get the added bonus of a backstage pass where you can... more »
Military And Intelligence News Briefs -- January 21, 2015
U.S. President Barack Obama delivers his State of the Union address to a joint session of the U.S. Congress on Capitol Hill in Washington, January 20, 2015. Credit: Reuters/Larry Downing *Stars and Stripes:* *Obama calls for war authorization, touts military policy* *Military And Intelligence News Briefs -- January 21, 2015* Obama calls for vote in Congress on ISIS war -- The Hill Obama calls on Congress to authorize force against Islamic State -- Reuters Lawmakers want specifics before authorizing military force against Islamic State -- Washington Times Obama tries to turn page ... more »
Budgets are Moral Documents
My latest show which reviews the recent election and discusses Maine issues with Leslie Manning, member of the Friends [Quaker] Committee for Maine Public Policy and the Public Policy Committee of the Maine Council of Churches.
Is Barry Soetoro (Barack Obama) Actually Trying To Help "ISIS" Take Over Syria? (Is This A Trick Question?)
Yes, too much of the world's attention has been diverted away from reality and towards the fraud "Charlie Hebdo" shooting in Paris, France.... That fraud shooting where NOBODY died was indeed a false flag operation to scare the crap out of people... It has worked like gangbusters, because right now too many gullible and very stupid people are now supporting their criminal governments, and especially their fraud war against "Muslim Extremists" and that fraudulent "ISIS/Daesh terrorist" threat..... I have said for years now that the fraud "terrorist" groups that we all hear about, esp... more »
U.S. President Obama's 'State Of The Union' -- News Roundup
*U.S. President Obama's 'State Of The Union' -- News Roundup* President Obama’s State of the Union speech (Text of Speech) -- Boston Globe The highlights from President Obama's State of the Union address -- Mashable Obama: 'Tonight, we turn the page' -- CNN Obama: My policies are working -- The Hill Obama declares turning point for the nation in his State of the Union -- CBS State of the Union: Obama says economic crisis over -- BBC Obama calls on Congress to authorize force against Islamic State -- Reuters In State of the Union, Obama takes credit as Republicans push back -- Washington...more »
High Fructose Corn Syrup Is More Toxic Than Refined Sugar
*Dr. Mercola* - Corn syrup is more toxic to female mice than table sugar. Not only did corn syrup adversely impact the animals’ rate of reproduction, it also caused premature death... The post High Fructose Corn Syrup Is More Toxic Than Refined Sugar appeared first on Waking Times.
Still Not there yet Links
*Atop Nanyang Road in Fengyuan.* Time, time, time..... ______________ *Daily Links*: - Well balanced piece from Ralph Jennings on future plans to tie Taiwan to China via economic integration and help pro-PRC oligarchs. Did I say that? I meant "make trade deals." So used to translating things... - The beginning of an in-depth series on Can China take Taiwan? by Michal Thim - Eight activists on trial for making China Annexation Rep twenty minutes late. - Taiwanese-American Citizens League is looking for a few good political interns. - For those of you tr... more »
They Didn't Know What They Were Doing Or . . .
http://www.slideshare.net/ In last Sunday's *New York Times*, Paul Krugman tried to answer the question, "Why do conservatives hate good government?" His answer was pretty convincing: Well, the political scientist Corey Robin argues that most self-proclaimed conservatives are actually reactionaries. That is, they’re defenders of traditional hierarchy — the kind of hierarchy that is threatened by any expansion of government, even (or perhaps especially) when that expansion makes the lives of ordinary citizens better and more secur...more »
No, of course I didn't watch the SOTU, but here's how I prepared for it -- and for the political-crackpot times ahead
*Is the Vanderbilt Corridor the Future of East Midtown?Tonight! Tuesday, Jan. 20 at 6:30 pm* To ensure East Midtown maintains its global dominance as a business center, the Department of City Planning is proposing a bold new suite of zoning changes. Join a panel of insiders to discuss the proposed vision for the Vanderbilt Corridor and the One Vanderbilt building. *Co-presented with the AIA New York Chapter | Center for Architecture and the Municipal Art Society.* *by Ken* If you think I watched the president's SOTU last night, you're probably new here. I don't do that sort of... more »
EDC's cause Oxidative Stress in Mother & Child- Raising Disease Risk- The Chemical Manipulation of Humanity
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Today, while checkin' out the news... I happen to notice, the chemical manipulation of humanity kind of news, flying right under the radar. As usual. There was a grand total of just over 12 news articles available on this latest research. *Yup, the coverage on EDC's, chemicals that are altering our DNA, sickening & destroying humanity, are only worthy of just over 12 articles? * From the google news search page *Explore in depth **(12 more articles)* Grrrr....... Before we get to the latest, there is a PDF included in this article- download it and read it- Good for background... more »
Untitled
*Education’s No Dollar Left Behind Competition * One of education’s most important annual rituals began last week, when Education Week released its annual Quality Counts report, which grades states based on a variety of criteria, including spending. On cue came the predictable hand-wringing over K-12 education funding. On Thursday Florida’s Duval County Public Schools Superintendent Nikolai Vitti told the Florida Times-Union that underfunding is undermining student achievement. “[I]magine how much stronger our students would perform if the policy commitments were maintained and ba... more »
WWII 'Devil's Brigade' To Get The Congressional Gold Medal
*Oriana Pawlyk, Military Times*: *WWII 'Devil's Brigade' to receive medal* *WNU Editor:* Talk about coincidences, I am going to a birthday party tonight and the guest of honor is one of my father's best friends (he is turning 91). He was at the battle of Monte Cassino serving with the Canadian forces via through a Polish volunteer unit, and his responsibility was to provide support by maintaining (and repairing) the communications gear. He later worked with Canada's Spar Aerospace in developing Canada's satellite communications system.It is going to be a treat to meet him tonight.
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*Climate scientists have refuted skeptics' arguments against 2014 'warmest year' claim?* *Below we actually find a fairly encouraging article. We find some recogniition in the media that there are a lot of people who question global warming and who question the "2014 was the hottest year" claim.The writer is still in the grip of the Warmists, however, and maybe he has to be to keep his job. The key point he misses is how small the temperature differences are that lie behind the Warmist claims. I don't expect a modern-day American journalist to understand statistical signi... more »
Global Financial Report - Pre- New York Open ( January 21 , 2015 ) - ECB QE Examination / Speculation.... Greek Election Polls and Related News ..... Ukraine crumbling away as its bonds continue to fall .... Gold / Negative bond yields and other items of note .....
Tweets..... Edward Harrison retweeted *Nell Henderson* @NHendersonWSJ · 44s44 seconds ago Bank of England hawks drop call for higher rates. Reinforces expectations BOE wont raise rates til 2016 http://on.wsj.com/1urwO7N via @WSJ *zerohedge* @zerohedge · 40m40 minutes ago Market Wrap: Futures Lower After BOJ Disappoints, ECB's Nowotny Warns "Not To Get Overexcited"; China Soars http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2015-01-2 1/market-wrap-futures-lower-after-boj-disappoints-ecbs-nowotny-warns-not-get-overexcit … *zerohedge* [image: View this content on zerohedge's website] Marke... more »
Baird Shouldn't Go
From the CBC: "Baird invited to 'make or break' meeting on Syria at Davos" Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird has been invited to a high-level meeting this week about the future of Syria — one that could include his Iranian counterpart. Norway is hosting the meeting, billed as a 'make-or-break' discussion, on the margins of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland on Friday. Invitees include senior political figures from Iraq, Jordan, France, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Egypt and the League of Arab States. A copy of an internal memo obtained by The Canadian Press, stamped "strictl... more »
According To Google The U.S. Navy SEALs Are The Most Popular Search Inquiry On Special Forces
SANGIN, Afghanistan - COL Abudul Majeed, 1st Kandak, 209th Afghan National Army Corps commander,(left) combat advised by a US Army Special Forces company commander, assigned to the Combined Joint Special Forces Task Force- Afghanistan, assesses a location for a new governors headquarters in Sangin District of Helmand Province on 9 April 2007. Coalition and ANA forces have killed over 60 Taliban fighters while reclaiming the Sangin District area over the past several days in southern Afghanistan. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. Keith Henning) *David Urban, Forces TV:* *The Most Popular Spe... more »
"The Dire State of Our Nation (What You Won’t Hear from the Politicians)"
*"The Dire State of Our Nation * *(What You Won’t Hear from the Politicians)"* By John W. Whitehead “As nightfall does not come at once, neither does oppression. In both instances, there is a twilight when everything remains seemingly unchanged. And it is in such twilight that we all must be most aware of change in the air – however slight – lest we become unwitting victims of the darkness.” ― Supreme Court Justice William O. Douglas "No matter what the politicians say about how great America is and how we, as a people, will always triumph, the fact is that the nation seems to be i... more »
The Fascinating Story Of The U.S. Army Master Sniper Known As The 'Reaper'
Irving recounts his jaw-dropping experiences in his extraordinary memoirs. Source: Supplied *Daily Mail: **The Army Ranger sniper who earned the nickname 'The Reaper' for killing more than 30 insurgents in four months with his rifle 'Dirty Diana'* * Nick 'Irv' Irving was the first black sniper in the Army's Third Ranger Battallion * He was dubbed 'The Reaper' by his fellow soldiers and 'The Devil of Ramadi' by insurgents for his skill as a sniper * He released his memoir just a few weeks after the debut of American Sniper, a movie about Chris Kyle, the deadliest U.S. sniper * Ir... more »
Navy decommissioning USS Peleliu
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[image: USS Peleliu (LHA 5)]The U.S. Navy is decommissioning the USS Peleliu (LHA 5), the last general purpose Tarawa-class amphibious assault ship. The vessel, in service for nearly 35 years, will be decommissioned on March 31 in a ceremony in San Diego, Calif., the Navy said. "The last general-purpose amphibious assault ship of the Tarawa class, Peleliu's decommissioning marks the end of a career comprising multiple deployments to U.S. 7th and 5th Fleet, humanitarian efforts and peacekeeping missions," the Navy said. Read more
China planning naval base in Namibia
Namibia and China are discussing plans for a Chinese naval base in the southwest African country, the Namibian newspaper reported Tuesday, prompting an immediate denial from Beijing. The Namibian quoted a confidential letter from Namibia's Beijing ambassador to his foreign ministry stating that a Chinese delegation would visit Windhoek for discussions "on the way forward regarding plans for the proposed naval base in Walvis Bay”. The letter from Ambassador Ringo Abed to foreign affairs permanent secretary Selma Ashipala-Musavyi, dated December 22, 2014, followed a meeting he had w...more »
Littoral Ship’s Mine-Clearing Equipment Flawed, U.S. Tester Says
[image: USS Freedom and USS Independence]Mine-detection equipment for the U.S. Navy’s Littoral Combat Ship, including an underwater drone, remains unreliable, the Pentagon’s test office has found. “Mission modules” to find and clear mines for the initial 32 vessels have “not yet demonstrated sufficient performance to achieve the Navy’s minimal” requirements, Michael Gilmore, the Defense Department’s director of operational testing, said in his annual report to Congress on major weapons systems. It was obtained in advance of its scheduled public release this week. Lockheed Martin Co... more »
Successful RBS15 Mk3 Sea Acceptance Test for Polish Navy’s Orkan Fast Attack Craft
[image: RBS15 Mk3 missile]Defence and security company Saab and the Polish Navy have conducted a successful commissioning and sea acceptance test of the RBS15 Mk3 onboard the Orkan-class fast attack craft. The tests were part of Saab’s 2006 contract with Poland for the delivery of RBS15 Mk3 missiles, and their installation on the Orkan-class ships. The tests, with the lead-vessel-in-class Orkan, validated all the ship’s interfaces with the necessary power, combat management and navigation systems. Read more
Russia and Iran sign defense deal, 'may resolve' S300 missile delivery issue
[image: S-300 Triumf]Moscow and Tehran have signed military cooperation deal that implies wider collaboration in personnel training and counter-terrorism activities. It may also resolve the situation concerning the delivery of Russian S300 missiles, Iranian media reported. Russia’s Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu and his Iranian counterpart Brigadier General Hossein Dehghan, signed the document during a visit by Russia’s top brass to Iran’s capital on Tuesday. Read more
Russia Orders Snap Test of Nuclear Missiles
[image: Morfey short-range air defense system]Russia has ordered a snap drill of its Strategic Missile Troops (RVSN), which control the country’s 305 land-based intercontinental ballistic missiles and nuclear warheads, according to a statement issued by the unit’s high command today. “More than 1,200 servicemen have been drafted to take part in the test exercises,” Colonel Igor Yegorov from the RVSN said. “Throughout 2015, we have planned at least four similar such drills,” he added. Last October, Yegorov said that by the start of 2015, up to 1,000 troops from the RVSN would be char... more »
India and US not to sign mega arms contract during President Barack Obama's visit to New Delhi
[image: CH-47 Chinook]India and the US will sign a new defence framework during President Barack Obama's visit to New Delhi on the Republic Day, but the two mega purchases for Chinook heavy lift and Apache attack helicopters will have to wait for some more time. The defence acquisition council had cleared the purchase worth over $2.5 billion but the final stamp of approval is still awaited from the Cabinet committee on security. Sources said the proposals are yet to be cleared by the finance ministry before it is placed before the Cabinet. An official said no arms contract will be ... more »
This Police Radar System Has Applications For The Military In Urban Conflict Zones
*USA Today*: *New police radars can 'see' inside homes* *WNU Editor: *The military applications for this tech are obvious .... especially in urban conflict zones.
US Spying in Germany - With Friends Like These, Who Needs Enemies?
*January 21, 2014* (Vladimir Platov - NEO) - A German spy employed by Bundesnachrichtendienst (BND) was arrested in Berlin in early July 2014. He was charged with handing out the top secret documents to foreign secret services, namely the CIA. A few days later it was announced that German law enforcement agencies began searching for another US spy that had been stealing information from the The Federal Ministry of Defence. The general secretary of the Social Democratic Party (SPD) Yasmin Fahimi called for the adoption of a list of “effective countermeasures” that would allow Germa... more »
China Admits That It Has A Problem Of Corruption In Its Military
Photo: World Affairs Board *Caixin Online/Market Watch*: *China’s powerful military admits corruption in its ranks * *WNU Editor*: When I read and posted these two different stories on Chinese military corruption .... *The Chinese Military Has A HUGE Corruption Problem *and *The Rise And Fall Of China's Top General* ..... I remarked that it was probably just the tip of the iceberg. The above post from Market Watch has just confirmed that analysis.
UN Attack Helicopter Strike Rebels in Mali
[image: RNLAF AH-64D Apache]This was after UN troops came under heavy attack from the Tuareg rebel forces in northern Mali. In a statement corroborated by a rebel umbrella group joining ethnic Tuaregs, the UN peacekeepers were "compelled to use force in response to direct heavy weapons fire on (them) in Tabankort." Its MINUSMA mission also noted that MINUSMA’s mandate authorized it to use force to protect civilians, its personnel and its property in case of attack or imminent danger. Read more
China's First Crew of Female Jet Fighter Pilots Ready for Service
[image: Chinese female fighter pilots]China's first crew of 10 female jet fighter pilots are ready to enter service after four new female pilots graduated at an airbase on January 15 in Jinan — capital city of east China's Shandong Province — and six others finished their courses at an airbase in Shenyang, capital city of northeast China's Liaoning Province. The four pilots joined the front line of combat troops on January 16. In September 2008, 33 female fighter jet pilots were selected out of 150,000 candidates who had a minimum of a high school education. Read more
Pentagon says classified data on U.S. F-35 jet fighter program remains secure
[image: F-35B Lightning II]The Pentagon on Tuesday said classified data about the $399 billion F-35 fighter jet program remains secure, despite fresh documents released by NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden last week which said China stole "many terabytes" of data about the jet. The U.S. Defense Department's F-35 program office said the latest documents released by the German magazine Der Spiegel "rehashed" a previously disclosed and reported 2010 incident, which it said compromised only non-classified data about the new warplane being built by Lockheed Martin Corp (LMT.N). "Classifi... more »
Meet the NATO Crews Watching the Skies For Russia's Next Move
[image: E-3A Sentry AWACS]Russia may be flexing its muscles in a Soviet-like show of force, but the rest of the world is not taking Vladimir Putin's imperialist spasms lightly. PM was invited on an official surveillance flight high above Europe. If I close my eyes and relax into the drone of the engines and the heavy rush of air, I might almost forget that I'm in a military airplane. The NATO E-3A is 153 feet long and built on the same frame as a Boeing 707 airliner, so in contrast to the fighter jets looping through the sky not far away, it is not designed to make any sudden moves... more »
Japan scrambles warplanes more often than in cold war
[image: JASDF F-15 Eagle]Japanese fighter pilots are scrambling their aircraft more often than at the height of the cold war to meet incursions by Russian and Chinese jets, according to data released by the defence ministry on Tuesday. In the nine months to the end of 2014, Japan’s air self-defence force scrambled 744 times, on course to exceed the 12-month record of 944 times set in 1984. The rising number highlights the increased military tension in East Asia and the growing risk of an accident as rival air forces manoeuvre in close proximity. Read more
Navy toys with plan to allow women onboard warships
[image: INS Shivalik]As armed forces prepare to showcase ‘women power’ at the Republic Day parade on January 26, the navy is working on a policy to allow women officers on-board warships in the next few years. “The living conditions in ships are entirely different. So now, we are modifying the ships and designing them as per the conditions required for women officers,” Commodore BK Munjal, who is in-charge of the navy’s women contingent at Republic Day parade said. Read more
The standard BBC wording at the end of their coverage of this morning's bus attack in Tel Aviv really pisses me off
The BBC's obsessive hatred of Israel leaks out all over the place, rather like the blood from a stabbed Jew. This BBC report on the latest attack on innocent Israeli civilians is not too bad but it ends with the BBC's handy facts that you might read and so excuse the Palestinian perpetrator's actions. The one line that pisses me off the most is this one: 'The Palestinians in the West Bank and eastern Jerusalem have lived under Israeli occupation since 1967.' Leaving aside the question of what is occupation and indeed the decisions at the Oslo Accords definitions, the most pissy a... more »
The standard BBC wording at the end of their coverage of this morning's bus attack in Tel Aviv really pisses me off
The BBC's obsessive hatred of Israel leaks out all over the place, rather like the blood from a stabbed Jew. This BBC report http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-30910956 on the latest attack on innocent Israeli civilians is not too bad but it ends with the BBC's handy facts that you might read and so excuse the Palestinian perpetrator's actions. The one line that pisses me off the most is this one: 'The Palestinians in the West Bank and eastern Jerusalem have lived under Israeli occupation since 1967.' Leaving aside the question of what is occupation and indeed the Oslo ... more »
Spying on the Press
British security agency GCHQ has stored thousands of emails from journalists working for the world’s biggest news organizations, according to a new batch of Edward Snowden leaks. Emails from the BBC, Guardian, New York Times, Washington Post and others were saved by GCHQ, allegedly as part of a ‘test exercise’ conducted by the agency.
“7 Best Shakespeare Insults”
*“7 Best Shakespeare Insults”* by The Huffington Post "You should be women and yet your beards forbid me to interpret that you are so." Shakespeare employs this biting insult in "Macbeth" to establish the complete and utter repulsiveness of the three witches. Their "withered and wild" features cause Macbeth and Banquo to question if the sisters are even human beings. "Methinks thou art a general offence, and every man should beat thee. I think thou wast created for men to breathe themselves upon you." In "All's Well That Ends Well," Lafeu hits infamous liar and coward Porolles with... more »
"Why Are You Waiting?"
"If you were going to die soon and had only one phone call you could make, who would you call and what would you say? And why are you waiting?" ~ Stephen Levine
"The Trick..."
“The trick is in what one emphasizes. We either make ourselves miserable, or we make ourselves happy. The amount of work is the same.” - Carlos Castaneda
The man hath penance done, And penance more will do.
And I had done a hellish thing, And it would work 'em woe: For all averred, I had killed the bird That made the breeze to blow. Ah wretch! said they, the bird to slay, That made the breeze to blow! ... The spirit who bideth by himself In the land of mist and snow, He loved the bird that loved the man Who shot him with his bow.' The other was a softer voice, As soft as honey-dew: Quoth he, 'The man hath penance done, And penance more will do.' *The Rime of the Ancient Mariner* ~ Samuel Taylor Coleridge, 1798 Last night I rented the newly released boxhouse flop *Tus... more »
"Paddington Bear" vs. "American Sniper"
I saw on some subway platform television screen that the film "American Sniper" had an "astounding" first weekend with ticket sales over $100 million. I think the main factor influencing people to buy those tickets was mindlessness. Did those ticket-buyers think they were specifically endorsing the real-life murderous racism of the film's protagonist, US Navy SEAL Chris Kyle? I don't think so. I think they wanted to see a gritty, realistic war movie. Plenty of excitement. Based on true events when real people actually went and fucking killed each other man! From the sounds of things... more »
Change The World Wednesday (#CTWW) - Photos
Welcome to Change The World Wednesday (#CTWW)! Wondering how to live greener? You've come to the right place. Each week we challenge ourselves to try a new task ... or "amp up" something we're already doing. We raise our awareness, learn from each other and develop Eco-friendly skills which will improve our lives and protect our planet. Doing so together gives us power ... the power to Change The World! If this is your first visit, please click HERE for information and a complete list of all the challenges we've taken on so far. This post contains great information and I encourage ... more »
First the coal industry - then the tobacco industry - now the sugar industry
First the coal industry then the tobacco industry now the sugar industry, "Is there any man-made profit-making industry that *DOESN'T* kill millions of people before we quit it?" *Professor of Clinical Epidemiology at the University of Liverpool, UK, Simon Capewell says, “Sugar is the new tobacco.* *“Everywhere, sugary drinks and junk foods are now pressed on unsuspecting parents and children by a cynical industry focussed on profit not health.* *“The obesity epidemic is already generating a huge burden of disease and death.” *[source TELEGRAPH] Personally, I can't work out wheth... more »
Yemen: Coup or Something Else? Smart Money says- Something Else.
Keep in mind the very important fact that the US has NO plans to evacuate the embassy! Highly suggestive that operations are being run out of that location * Senior U.S. military officials say that there was "no specific planning underway" to evacuate the embassy. While another official said that they believe the embassy is in no immediate danger, "the situation remains tenuous."* Gulf of Aden is a 'chokepoint' *We have conflicting narratives coming out of Yemen- * Consider, the coup could be real *OR *certain 'interests' would like us to believe a coup is actually taking place ... more »
Israel Prepping for more strikes on Syria? "Israel steps up security for possible Syria airstrike"
This reads to me as if Israel is going to up their airstrikes in support of their Islamist terrorist/fighters aka NATO's mercs. Israel has hit Syria several times and Syria has not retaliated. Why would they now, when they haven't previously? What's your take? *ChinaDaily* Israel stepped up security precautions along its northern borders for possible retaliation by Hezbollah over a Sunday airstrike that killed a number of its fighters, local media reported. I actually don't see this as prepping for 'retaliation' for Israel's most recent strike on Syria, or any of the previous str... more »
GMO-Free Food Sales Explode Amid Public Awareness
[image: GMO_Tomato] Agri business has created a horrible labeling trap for themselves. By vigorously blocking GMO labeling, they have placed serious value on the Non GMO tag or brand. This means that growers now have an excellent way to sell non GMO product were any dispute can arise. I think now that the organic transition that is happening is going to become a serious rush and that all industrial farming will be facing serious pressure. This push back also opens the door for farmers cooperatives organizing lobbying groups to change regulations to reflect their interests and sh... more »
Chinese Officer: Jiang Zemin Ordered Organ Harvesting
[image: Bai Shuzhong, former minister of health of the People’s Liberation Army General Logistics Department. (cof.org.cn)] What it means of course is that these victims were never executed at all. Thye were outright harvested and everyone in the system relied on the government umbrella to keep them safe. most likely the medical records explained deaths as due to natural causes with minimum explanation. It still demands a compliant staff situation and attention to rooting out objectors. Everyone would understand that this was profoundly criminal. So we have a crime that matc... more »
Fake Meat
There is one thing i am certain of and it is that we really cannot abandon animal husbandry without massively worsening our agriculture. The fact is the problem with industrial agriculture is that they have abandoned the integration of the traditional farm system and have not replaced it with something better. Something better is now emerging and we call it organic, but it is also reintegrating livestock in generally excellent ways. If we want excellent plant foods we have to accept the assistence of our livestock and our microbes and even our local weeds as ... more »
Barber Woke from Coma Speaking Fluent French
[image: Rory Curtis in the changing at Carrington football ground] This is the second such occurrence and it is pretty clear and unusual. The only plausible explanation is that the spirit guides simply took advantage of his coma to wire in the additional language. At least we know now that this explanation is completely possible. It also represents dosclosure to us that they are there in ways that is impo0ssible to explain away. We all could use this to add a language or two. *Barber woke from coma speaking fluent French * *When he finally came round Mr Curti... more »
Here Are 5 Weapon Systems That Will Make China A Formidible Military Adversary
Photo: World Affairs Board *Robert Farley, National Interest: **Take Note, America: 5 Weapons of War China Should Build Now* *China's military is certainly developing some deadly capabilities. Here are five ways it could become even deadlier. * *WNU Editor:* Need I say that these are the 5 weapon systems that China is developing and building right now.
Huanggang frigate, China's latest anti-submarine weapon
[image: Type 054A frigate]The Huanggang, one of China's most advanced Type 054A guided-missile frigates officially entered service with the PLA Navy on Jan. 16, reports Beijing-based Chinese-language military website Junqing.com. Launched on Apr. 28, 2014, the Huanggang is the latest of four Type 054A frigates equipped with a variable-depth sonar to conduct anti-submarine operations. The variable-depth sonar and towed array sonar are presumably located at the left side of the stern. In addition to 40 YJ-18 anti-ship and 16 HQ-16 air defense missiles, it is also equipped with Yu-7 ... more »
DRM Is Not A Binary Decision
Consumer rights with respect of ebooks continue to be up in the air. Only last week, Sony, the prime driver for Adobe’s ACS4 adoption back in 2006 said that they were coming back into the Digital Rights Management (DRM) market. This week the Electronic Frontier Foundation announced they have commissioned the vocal DRM opponent, Cory Doctorow, to take on DRM technologies that they believe threaten security, privacy, and undermine public rights and innovation. The objective of their Apollo 1201 Project, is claimed to be "a mission to eradicate DRM in our lifetime." Named after the US ... more »
Project Blue Book Declassified - Really?
I’m watching the *ABC Evening News*, something I attempt to avoid because there is so little news in the broadcast (but that’s another story) and they tell me that the Project Blue Book files are now declassified and on line. I’m wondering what they mean because they have been on line for quite some time. They’re referring to John Greenwald’s efforts to post all of these files at his Black Vault website, and his effort is commendable. But NICAP had many of the files on line for years and I have never found a gap in the Fold 3’s Blue Book files also on line. Or, in other words, the ... more »
The Inside Story On How China Got Its First Aircraft Carrier
Image: Wikimedia *South China Morning*: *The inside story of the Liaoning: how Xu Zengping sealed deal for China's first aircraft carrier* *In the mid-1990s, the former PLA basketball star was contacted by officers within the PLA Navy with a secretive mission: go to Ukraine and buy the Soviet-built carrier* *WNU Editor*: This is a fascinating story .... and knowing what I know about the Chinese .... not surprising. You can read the three-part series here (though you will need a free registration with SCMP first): *part 1*; *part 2*; *part 3*. *More News On How China Got Its First... more »
Australia Faces Pressure on Submarine Decision
[image: Soryu-class SSK]Australia’s government came under fresh pressure Wednesday to reject Japanese submarines as the spearhead for a new undersea fleet, with one of the country’s top security think-tanks urging consideration of a homegrown naval deterrent. As newly appointed Defense Minister Kevin Andrews prepared to inspect government-owned shipbuilder ASC this week ahead of a decision on whether to hold a tender competition for a A$25 billion fleet of new conventional submarines, the Australian Strategic Policy Institute said the possible acquisition of Japanese submarines by A... more »
Russia's new sub rescue ship conducts at-sea DSRV trials
[image: RFS Igor Belousov]Russia's new Project 21300 submarine rescue ship Igor Belousov is currently conducting underway trials with the Bester-1 (AS-40) deep submergence rescue vehicle (DSRV) embarked. The ship completed the first phase of trials in early January, according to Russian news agency reports. Further trials will culminate in deepwater testing with the Northern Fleet later this year. Igor Belousov was laid down in late 2005 at Admiralty Shipyards in St. Petersburg, and was launched in October 2012. Delivery was scheduled for 2014 according to Tass news agency, but the ... more »
“Beaten Dogs”
*“Beaten Dogs”* by CoyotePrime “And so, the audit of the Federal Reserve was released in September, 2013... $16 TRILLION dollars of YOUR money, “lent” at 0% interest not only to the Too-Big-To-Fail American megabanks, who then charge YOU 24% interest, but trillions of dollars to many foreign banks as well. When was the last time YOU received a 0% loan? Slowly but surely, the truth of how savagely we, the People, have been financially raped, over and over again, is coming out, and as it does, a tiny minority of our population secretly shudders in horror… And fear comes now, at last...more »
Are Jews "part of the West"?
In the video below, White advocate Jared Taylor gives an interesting interview to *Jewish journalist David Sheen*: Jared Taylor makes many important points, namely the fact that Israel is a racial state (i.e., a Jewish state), which is endorsed and supported by the West, especially the United States. However, the Western political and media establishment are strongly against a racial state in their own countries. Israel is allowed to be a Jewish state, but America, Europe, and the rest of the Western world must be "proposition nations", where individuals of all racial, ethnic, and... more »
Technical message
Due to the fact that our Comments system is absolutely dreadful and that quite a lot of comments appear to have vanished into cyberspace, we're in the middle of moving over onto the famous Disqus system. The move began about 15 minutes ago. Neither Sue or I have the foggiest idea what we're doing with this techie stuff, so this could be a complete and utter disaster. I'm just following some barely accurate advice from some blogging blog. At the moment, all the existing comments seem to have vanished but are, hopefully, migrating over onto the new system (legally, and not in the ba... more »
Rant about right rant
Before I started blogging, from time to time I would send letters to newspapers. Always in retaliation to intense provocation you’ll understand. In 2007 I wrote to the then TV editor of the Sunday Times to question a headline in that paper’s preview of an upcoming programme. The headline was: “Right Rant.” Can you guess what it was yet? Don’t blame you, unless you’ve been reading the Daily Mail. Yup. It was about Richard Littlejohn’s programme on C 4 about antisemitism in the UK. The War on Britain’s Jews, broadcast in July 2007. I hadn’t seen the programme when I wrote my messag... more »
PuppetGate, the Continuing Saga
*first, watch/listen to the video that has a former Tennessee Governor and a former SD State Senator calmly discussing about assassinating Leo Wanta, the main subject of this article, and who is owed Trillions of $$* *Veterans Today* October 22, 2014 by Preston James and *Lon Gibby *The Silence is Deafening!* [image: Wanta-11-481x640]*In an earlier Veterans Today article,* PuppetGate, *a major X-ray or Snapshot into how the US Government truly functions was revealed.* *We are very much at war. At the center of the conflict, oddly enough, is an online publication, Veterans Today... more »
Swiss Shocker Triggers Gigantic Losses For Banks, Hedge Funds And Currency Traders
[image: The Economic Collapse] The Economic Collapse *Are You Prepared For The Coming Economic Collapse And The Next Great Depression?* By Michael Snyder, on January 19th, 2015 [image: Trading - Public Domain]The absolutely stunning decision by the Swiss National Bank to decouple from the euro has triggered billions of dollars worth of losses all over the globe. Citigroup and Deutsche Bank both say that their losses were somewhere in the neighborhood of 150 million dollars, a major hedge fund that had 830 million dollars in assets at the end of December has been forced to shut down... more »
600 strains of an aerosolized thought control vaccine already tested on humans; deployed via air, food and water
*I know, this sounds crazy, right? I posted the video in this article a few years ago . . only you can decide what to believe here . . looks pretty legit to me . . but please, watch the video . . click & read the document link . . .* Tuesday, January 20, 2015 by Mike Adams [image: vaccine] (NaturalNews) According to the document you're about to see, for the last eight years, government scientists have actively engineered viral vaccines designed to alter thoughts and beliefs by infecting the brain and suppressing genetic expression of neurological cells. Dispersal of these vaccin... more »
Fifth Columnists and "Mockingbird 2" Lined up Against Russia
*Vladimir Putin* I was planning on taking my time with my next post *on the West's concentrated effort to instigate regime change in Russia...but events are moving quite fast. So* I think I'll post this quickly just as a "heads up". The audaciousness of America's "thimpk tank" (sic) *CSIS* (not coincidentally the same acronym as the Canadian *CSIS*) to recently host a fifth columnist treasonous Russian Duma member--with his power point presentation of *"How to Get Rid of Putin*"...cannot be ignored. Here's the report: The usual suspects see that the longer they leave Putin in p... more »
A new paper connecting heterotic strings with an LHC anomaly
*Is the LHC going to experimentally support details of string theory in a few months?* Just one week ago, I discussed a paper that has presented a model capable of explaining three approximately 2.5-sigma anomalies seen by the LHC, including the \(\tau\mu\) decay of the Higgs boson \(h\), by using a doubled Higgs sector along with the gauged \(L_\mu-L_\tau\) symmetry. I have mentioned a speculative addition of mine: those gauge groups could somewhat naturally appear in \(E_8\times E_8\) heterotic string models, my still preferred class of string/M-theory compactifications to describ... more »
Mao’s War Against Nature
When I was young, I discovered pictures from China, where the streets were filled with people riding bicycles. I was overwhelmed by this display of human intelligence. Had they learned from our mistakes and taken a higher path, or had their culture taught them to respect life? I was living in Kalamazoo, where the streets were a nightmare, jammed with impatient nutjobs in speeding wheelchairs. The air was thick with methylene chloride, and the river was a PCB cesspool. If only our leaders were Chinese… sigh! Like I said, I was young. In 1949, Mao Zedong led a revolution that o... more »
Mr Smith went to Nelson
There will be 10 “dramatic” changes to the Resource Management Act, we’re told, outlined by Minister Nick Smith tonight in Nelson. *The Herald* lists them without giving details: *Nick Smith's RMA reforms* 1. Add management of natural hazards 2. Recognise urban planning 3. Prioritise housing affordability 4. Acknowledge importance of infrastructure 5. Greater weight to property rights 6. National planning templates 7. Speed up plan-making 8. Encouraging collaborative resolution 9. Strengthening national tools 10. Internet for simplicity and speed At first sight these look l... more »
Clampdown
This evening, President Obama played out a vision for a more just tax system for working families. It isn't something he or anyone else expects to see passed-- at least not while Obama is president and the Congress is firmly controlled by Wall Street and Big Business through the Republican Party (and the New Dems and Blue Dogs) they own. A vision to aspire to? At best, I guess. The song above has a different sort of vision. The Clash released it in late 1979 on their third album, *London Calling*, their breakthrough (platinum) U.S. release. The album doesn't shy away from difficu... more »
Is The Russian Navy On The Verge Of Collapse?
*David Axe, War Is Boring:* *The Russian Navy Is on the Verge of Collapse* *Big ships age out and Moscow can’t replace them* *WNU Editor*: The Soviet/Russian navy has always been on the bottom of the priority list for the Kremlin when it came to spending money on the military. What has not helped the situation is the decline and moth-balling of Russia's military industrial base .... shipyards included .... so even if the money is allocated to rebuild the Russian navy .... it lacks the infrastructure and facilities to make it happen. The focus will instead be on submarines and coas... more »
The Russian Military 'Shows-Off' Its Cyborg Biker
*Sam Frizell, Time:* *Watch the Russian Military Present Putin With a Cyborg Biker* *WNU Editor*: You gotta be kidding me .... a cyborg biker?!?!?!? But on a serious note .... Russia is developing and spending monies "big time" on developing robot platforms for it's military .... *Russia Wants Autonomous Fighting Robots, and Lots of Them* (Popular Mechanics) *More News On The Russian Military Version Of A 'Cyborg Biker'* Combat Robot-Avatar Revealed to Russian President Putin -- Sputnik Russian Robot Warrior Drives In A Circle In Front Of Putin -- Kelsey D. Atherton, Popular Scien... more »
The Yemen Crisis: Some Ground Truths [January 2010]
*Photo: U.S. Embassy in Sanaa, Yemen, May 2014. Source: AFP.* *Photo: Houthi fighters outside the presidential palace in Sanaa, Yemen, January 2015. Source: AP.* *Title: The Yemen Crisis: Some Ground Truths. Source: UChannel. Date Published: February 1, 2010. Description:* Ambassador Barbara Bodine, former U.S. Ambassador to Yemen and Diplomat-in-Residence at the Woodrow Wilson School, and Gregory Johnsen, a Ph.D. candidate in Near Eastern studies at Princeton University and a former Fulbright fellow in Yemen Princeton University, Woodrow Wilson School of Public and Internationa... more »
James McEnteer : Dog days in Quito
Terrified by the noise of the fireworks, Suki had panicked and bolted over the fence and down the street. By James McEnteer | The Rag Blog | January 21, 2015 QUITO, Equador — Our dog ran away on New Year’s … finish reading James McEnteer : Dog days in Quito
Russian President Putin Vows To Continue Building Up The Military
© Sputnik/ Alexei Druzhinin *Reuters:* *Putin Says Russia Must Strengthen Army to Defend Itself* *Update: *Russia to strengthen armed forces to tackle challenges from outside: Putin -- Xinhuanet *WNU Editor:* I get nervous when I hear a Russian President say the following .... *Putin Says US Military Spending Incomparably Higher Than Russia's (Sputnik)* .... what he is implying is that Russia is not spending enough. In the past when the Kremlin was given a choice between "guns and butter" .... they always took the guns .... and it appears that Putin has decided to continue that tr... more »
U.S. - Cuba Talks To Begin On Wednesday
*Reuters*: *Cuba wants off U.S. terrorism list before restoring normal ties* *WNU Editor: *I have only been to Cuba once (16 years ago) .... flew in from Montreal and I stayed there for one week in February. It is the worst vacation that I ever took .... and I vowed never to go back to Cuba again. It is a very poor country .... depressing in every-way ... and if poverty is your thing while you stay in a somewhat adequate hotel insulated from the outside .... then this is the place for you. As for these U.S. - Cuban talks .... the only ones who are excited are the media (of course),... more »
Musical Interlude: Dan Fogelberg, “Nether Lands”
Dan Fogelberg, “Nether Lands” - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ePrQFaB50w0
"A Look to the Heavens"
“It looks like a lunar landscape but this remarkable photograph actually shows our Milky Way and the planet Jupiter in all their glory - viewed from a cave in America's Utah desert. The spiral galaxy, which cannot be seen with the naked eye, was captured by photographer Wally Pacholka using a 35mm camera and 50mm lens on a tripod with a 30-second exposure - long enough to collect the light but not to see the stars moving. *Click image for larger size.* Pacholka, 59, an architect from Long Beach, California, relied on the light of a crescent moon to illuminate the subject and chose th... more »
Chet Raymo, "The Ogre And Us"
* "The Ogre And Us"* by Chet Raymo "A passage from H. G. Wells' “Outline of History”, 1920: “We know very little of the appearance of Neanderthal man, but this... seems to suggest an extreme hairiness, an ugliness, or a repulsive strangeness in his appearance over and above his low forehead, his beetle brows, his ape neck, and his inferior stature... Says Sir Harry Johnston, in a survey of the rise or modern man in his Views and Reviews: "The dim racial remembrance of such gorilla-like monsters, with cunning brains, shambling gait, hairy bodies, strong teeth, and possibly cannibal... more »
“The World As An Introvert: 13 Rules for Being Alone and Being Happy About It”
*“The World As An Introvert: * *13 Rules for Being Alone and Being Happy About It”* by Tyler Tervooren “It seems today- at least in the U.S.- there must be something wrong with you if you're alone. We praise the extroverts- those who know how to handle themselves in a crowd, the ones with vast network of friends. We think working in groups and on teams is the only way to find the answer to a problem. That two heads are better than one. That collaboration is the only way of the future. But the truth is almost half of the world doesn't agree. I don't feel that way. Sometimes, the ... more »
"Justice Ginsburg explains everything you need to know about religious liberty in two sentences" (Ian Millhiser)
*Plus: Justice Nino daydreams about mandatory polygamy* *"Unlike the exemption this Court approved in Burwell v. Hobby Lobby Stores, Inc., accommodating petitioner's religious belief in this case would not detrimentally affect others who do not share petitioner's belief. On that understanding, I join the Court's opinion."* *-- Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, rulingwith a unanimous Court today in *Holt v. Hobbs *by Ken* The case itself, this *Holt v. Hobbs*, turned out to be so simple constitutionally that not only was the Supreme Court's verdict unanimous, but even dim... more »
Ukraine Is Claiming That Its Forces Are Under Attack From Russian Troops
*BBC:* *Ukraine accuses Russian troops of attacking its forces* *WNU Editor:* The situation in Ukraine is unraveling .... *Ukrainian leader cuts short Davos visit as situation 'worsens*' (AFP). *More News On The Ukraine Conflict* Ukraine Accuses Russia of Sending More Troops and Artillery to Aid Rebels -- New York Times Ukraine Says Russian Troops Join Separatists in New Assaults -- Bloomberg Ukraine says its forces come under attack from Russian troops -- Reuters 'Russian forces' attack Ukraine troops in separatist east -- AFP Kyiv Says Russian Military Attacked Its Forces Inside Ea...more »
No tits out for the wowsers [updates]
It’s no tits out for the wowsers, and now none for Sun readers either thanks to the wowsers. This morning, Britain’s sun newspaper published its last Page Three girl getting her gear off – ending a publishing tradition that goes back before sex was invented in Britain. And according to *The Herald* ( so it must be true) “Page 3 girls have led the backlash against *The Sun*'s decision to end its topless tradition, claiming the move has been "dictated by comfy-shoe-wearing no-bra-wearing man-haters.” Model Rhian Sugden, 28, criticised at the move, suggesting it was "only a matter ... more »
Commentaries, Analysis, And Editorials -- January 20, 2015
*Dan Murphy, CSM:* *Yemen's almost coup a sign of more trouble to come* *A Houthi rebel leader stopped short of deposing his rival after his forces sacked the presidential palace today in Yemen's capital.* *Commentaries, Analysis, And Editorials -- January 20, 2015* What's Going On In Yemen? -- Yemen Online Should nations just pay ISIS ransom? -- Peter Bergen and Emily Schneider, CNN How Turkey misread the Kurds -- Cale Salih & Aaron Stein, Al Jazeera Qunaitra raid revives fears of Lebanese-Israeli war -- Antoine Ghattas Saab, Daily Star China's scramble for Africa -- Richard Ja... more »
World News Briefs -- January 20, 2015 (Evening Edition)
*Al Jazeera:* *Houthis take over Yemen presidential palace* *UN discusses power struggle as Shia fighters, overcoming resistance from president's loyalists, tighten grip on Sanaa.* *MIDDLE EAST* Clashes hit Yemen capital again as *Houthis pursue political gains*. Shiite militiamen seize *Yemen presidential palace*. Syria conflict: Strike on *IS-held village kills dozens*. ISIL attacks home of *key Iraqi tribal leader*. Nearly 20 more air strikes *target Islamic State: U.S. coalitio*n. Militias undermine Iraqi army, *says Sadr*. Israeli security source: We didn't know Iranian ge... more »
Jan. 20: Enough of Robert the Cat...
Today Times and Transcript has what I think is its third edition with a front page story and photo of Robert the Cat. Even my cat is bored by it. This is the kind of trivia you see in a newspaper whose main function it to put an end to all thought and to all interest in whatever might be happening in the real world. Robert, the next time I see you, I hope it will be on a bun at a church breakfast. For Jan 19 section A there really is no news except for more and more about what we already knew about the Bourque shootings. The editorial is still pimping for gas development. That leav... more »
Jonah Raskin : INTERVIEW | Author and teacher Peter Richardson dissects California themes, memes
In his last two books, Richardson offers potent narratives about California in the era of Jerry Garcia and Robert Hunter, Bob Scheer and Warren Hinckle. By Jonah Raskin | The Rag Blog | January 20, 2015 ∗ Jonah Raskin is … finish reading Jonah Raskin : *INTERVIEW* | Author and teacher Peter Richardson dissects California themes, memes
The Poet: Theodore Roethke, "In a Dark Time"
*"In a Dark Time"* by Theodore Roethke "In a dark time, the eye begins to see, I meet my shadow in the deepening shade; I hear my echo in the echoing wood- A lord of nature weeping to a tree. I live between the heron and the wren, Beasts of the hill and serpents of the den. What’s madness but nobility of soul At odds with circumstance? The day’s on fire! I know the purity of pure despair, My shadow pinned against a sweating wall. That place among the rocks- is it a cave, Or winding path? The edge is what I have. A steady storm of correspondences! A night flowing with birds, a ragg... more »
What you won’t hear in Obama’s State of the Union address tonight [updated]
Cunningly timed to be delivered at a similar time to Nick Smith’s savage slashing of cautious tinkering with the RMA, U.S. President Obama’s State of the Union speech (or perhaps it’s the other way around) will tell tall tales and many myths. Here are 11 facts you won’t hear: 1. Today’s young Americans … are the first generation to be poorer than their parents. 2. They will also pay all their lives into a retirement system than won't be there for them when they get there. 3. Young Americans indebt themselves more than anyone else on the planet to attend unive... more »
Russia and Russians: A delightfully witty history of a country comprising one sixth of the earth, the people who have lived there for centuries, and how they are adjusting to life without the West.
------------------------------ TUESDAY, JANUARY, 15, 2015 Original Here Peculiarities of Russian National Character ← *Ancient Slavic god Zimnik: a squat old man, long hair the color of snow, wears a white coat, always barefoot. Carries an iron staff, one swing with which instantly freezes everything solid. Can summon snowstorms, ice storms and blizzards. Goes around taking whatever he likes, especially children who misbehave.* Recent events, such as the overthrow of ... more »
Are Mushrooms the Solution to the Worldwide Bee Colony Collapse?
*Jefferey Jaxen* - The intricate matrix of mushroom mycelium under our feet represents rebirth, rejuvenation, and regeneration. The post Are Mushrooms the Solution to the Worldwide Bee Colony Collapse? appeared first on Waking Times.
Counting on the Media: A Reply to Mack and Pinker
It’s always nice to read good news. And it’s nice to read evidence-based arguments in the popular press. Over the holiday, Andrew Mack and Steven Pinker offered a little of each over the holidays in their article “The World Is Not Falling Apart.” Therein, they marshal of human security indicators upon indicators – number of rapes Continue reading
Tales Of The (Gentrification) City: Tom Heyman And Deirdre White
By Denise Sullivan "People who don't live here don't get it," says singer-songwriter and guitarist Tom Heyman. "Everyone I know is waiting for the other shoe to drop, all the time. All my renter friends, me and my wife, we live in constant fear." One of thousands of musicians who migrated to the West Coast in search of better weather and better fortune in the music business, Heyman arrived to San Francisco in January of 1998 and slid in easily to the local guitar and roots music scene headquartered at the Makeout Room on 22nd and Mission Streets. Martin Rapalski's bar (and atten... more »
BREAKING: Two U.S. Navy Warships Have Positioned Themselves Off The Coast Of Yemen To Evacuate The U.S. Embassy
*CNN:* *Pentagon in position to evacuate U.S. Embassy in Yemen* *Update*: US Senator Dianne Feinstein .... the Democratic vice-chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence .... is now demanding the immediate evacuation of the U.S. embassy .... *Feinstein: Evacuate Yemen Embassy Now* (Josh Rogin, Bloomberg). *WNU Editor*: Shiite radical rebels backed by Iran have violently taken control of the capital city .... it does not take a security specialists to know that the U.S. embassy is probably under threat right now. But here is an easy prediction .... with President Obama...more »
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